1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of use of construction. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for applying putty and filler.
2. Description of Related Art
In the final stages of construction, remodeling or repair, great care is often needed in ensuring that the final finish of surfaces, particularly wood surfaces, is uniform. Many times, holes caused by impurities in the material or fasteners (e.g. nails and screws) need to be filled before any painting or staining can be initiated.
In filling these holes, substances such as wood filler, "Spackle," or putty are often used. These substances can be painted or stained to match the surrounding materials. However, problems can arise when the putty is applied incorrectly. It is very common to encounter partially filled holes where not enough filler material was used (also known as "half moons"), unintentional depressions in the filler where too much pressure was used in pressing the filler material into the hole (also known as "dips"), or residual putty material above or around the hole (also known as "clouds").
Although these imperfections can be corrected or removed (e.g. half moons and dips can be filled and clouds can be sanded), doing so is often time consuming and, thus, inefficient. Moreover, when the hole to be filled appears on textured materials such as open-grained woods, sandblasted woods, re-sawn woods, etc., it is often difficult, if not impossible, to remove the imperfections without damaging the surrounding texture or leaving a "halo" (i.e. a ring of putty) around the hole.